Burglar Tools: Casino Cheating Devices

Marked Cards, Hot Dice and Shoe Computers

Posted by Chuckmonster

For as long there has been anything of value, there have been people making bets. From cavemen wagering pelts which pterodactyl would take off first to the most sophisticated electronic betting devices in use in casinos today, one thing has remained the same - someone had always tried to skew the odds in their favor by employing devices or techniques to outwit unsuspecting bettors and casinos.

Marked cards and crooked dice to high tech strobe lights and card counting computers, the techniques of cheating casinos has evolved from a mental game to a technological game as dramatically as the casinos have begun to have more silicon chips on their casino floors than clay ones. Needless to say we were absolutely shocked to find this display of casino cheating devices at Barona Valley Ranch, a tribal casino 20 miles east of San Diego, California.

Mirrors and Sleight of Hand

Gaffed Blackjack Shoe

This device enabled the dealer to see the value of the next card to come out of the shoe. The dealer could then deal a "second" to a player who a 10 value card would help, and save the 10 value card to bust another player. Sometimes, it's not the cheaters cheating the house, it's the house cheating the players.

Concealed Chip Cup

This device required a player agent and a dealer to be acting in concert to steal chips from the casino. The agent arrived at the gaming table, placing the "empty cup" as a wager. The hand would be played, if the player won, the dealer would pay the empty cup with real chips and the wager would ride. If the wager lost, the dealer take the "cup wager" and slide it into a higher denomination row on the chip tray - filling the hollowed cup with a stack of high denomination chips. The dealer would return the filled cup to the agent when they next won a hand. The player would play a hand or two with other chips then cash out and split.